


Blonde Hair and Whiskers

by Sirenswhisper



Category: Black Sails
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crack I guess?, Fluff, Kitty!Thomas, Multi, Witch!Miranda
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2018-11-30 23:19:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 15,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11473776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sirenswhisper/pseuds/Sirenswhisper
Summary: During their escape from London Miranda turned Thomas into a cat to smuggle him out of England. Now in Nassau no counter spell is working to turn him back.A random selection of scenes where Thomas is a Cat and completely ok with it while his humans try and cope with the mess they've made.





	1. Counter Spell

**Author's Note:**

> For Flintsredhair on Tumblr because I've been tormenting her with sad AUs for the last few days and she deserves this cuteness as an apology. Also thank you for letting me bounce ideas off you. 
> 
> Words in " " are speech while those in ' ' are Thomas' thoughts.

Thomas sat in the circle of sand as his Miranda had instructed and licked his paws as he waited. Miranda lit candles as she memorised the latest counter spell that James had managed to find her. She’d long since tried all the ones she knew and they’d spent the last few years tracking down more and more obscure counter spells to turn Thomas human again. 

“Do you think this one will actually work this time?” James sat slumped in a chair across the room. 

“Moraw?” Thomas stopped licking his paws and looked at his James. 

“We have to try. I’m not about to give up and allow Thomas to be a cat for the rest of his life.” Miranda shut the book and gave James a long glare. 

“I’m not asking you to stop. I want Thomas back just as much as you do. I just don’t see how this time will be any different. We need to find some alternative spells that will make him human again rather than undo what you did to him.” James stood up. 

‘Stop it. Don’t argue again.’ Thomas’ ears lay back and he reached out a paw to them. 

“What I did to him? If I hadn’t cast that spell we wouldn’t have him at all. What would you have had me do? Allow them to take him away. A life without Thomas, is that what you want?” Miranda’s words made both James and Thomas flinch. 

“Of course not! Why didn’t you use a spell that you knew how to undo?” James approached the table where Thomas was sat. 

Thomas stood on his back legs and swatted his paws at his humans as they argued around him. ‘Stop arguing. Look at me I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m here. I’m perfect. I’m soft, fluffy and so small! Stop arguing and cuddle me instead.’ 

They ignored Thomas’ attempts at calming them. Not being able to talk to his humans was a pain and there was only one thing he could think to do to stop them fighting. Thomas jumped down from the table and fled into the main bedroom. 

James dashed after him but Thomas was too quick and darted under the bed. Miranda came running in behind them and sighed as Thomas peaked out from under the bed frame. 

“Thomas please come out. We’re sorry.” James reached in and tried to pull him out. 

Thomas pulled back and swatted at the hand. ‘I’ll come out when you’ve made up and not before. I don’t like it when you fight.’ Thomas moved back further under the bed and curled up for a snooze. It took them two hours to make up. Thomas came out from under the bed and rewarded them with his soft purrs as he brushed up against their legs.


	2. Mouser

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> None of these scenes are going to be in order. I'll be uploading them in the order I write them.

Thomas stretched out on James’ chest as the dawn light hit his shut eyelids. He liked the early mornings far more than he used to, as he had so much more energy now. Thomas opened his eyes and nuzzled his face against the lovely bristles on his James’ face. 

James’ hand came up to tickle under his chin and Thomas purred. ‘Don’t stop. Feels so good. I love you. Do you know that I love you? Especially when you do that.’ Thomas rolled onto his back and gazed adoringly up at where his James and Miranda’s heads were resting on the pillows. 

Miranda grunted and pulled the covers over her face to shield her eyes from the morning light. Thomas hopped up and crossed to Miranda on his dainty paws. ‘I love you too. I love you so much. Can I have strokes?’

Thomas batted at where he could see the imprint of her nose beneath the sheets. He got a grunt in response and tried again. ‘Wake up. I’m bored and I want to show you how much I love you.” 

“He’s even more needy in cat form,” Miranda’s voice was heavy with sleep. “It’s too early, Thomas. Let me sleep.”

“Do you think he wants food or affection?” James asked and blinked blearily at Thomas. 

“Attention. Even human he wanted to be the centre of it.” Miranda pressed her face into the pillow and went back to sleep. 

James quickly followed and Thomas was left sitting between them and utterly ignored. ‘Hmph. No love for you two then.’ Thomas jumped off the bed with his nose in the air and left the room. 

Thomas’ ears pricked up at the sound of scurrying feet and slunk towards the pantry. He jumped up onto a high shelf and waited. ‘The mouse is back. I thought I’d scared him off. He probably has a little family of mice to feed, but I can’t let him keep taking our grain like that. I have to make sure James and Miranda have enough to eat.’ 

The mouse poked his nose out from one of the grain bags and checked the area was clear. Thomas learned forward with his tail swishing. He had to get the moment just right.  
The mouse inched out across the floor and Thomas sprang from his perch.

He landed with the mouse beneath his paws. ‘I’m sorry about this. I’ll make it quick. You won’t suffer.’ Thomas killed it as quickly as possible and picked up the body in his mouth. ‘Miranda would be upset if she found you in her pantry. I can’t bury you myself but if I leave you on the floor in the main room they should give you a proper burial. You deserve that.’ 

Thomas listened out for any further sounds of mice, then took the dead one out of the pantry and dropped him on the floor by the table. ‘There, James and Miranda should see you when they get up.’

Thomas abandoned the mouse now that there was nothing more he could do for it and settled in his favourite morning perch. The sun streamed in and warmed his fur as he dosed. 

His ears pricked up as he heard movement from the bedroom. He stretched and jumped down from his perch to meet them. His Miranda walked into the main room and stopped at the sight of the mouse. 

Thomas trotted over to her with a purr. ‘Look what I found! It was trying to eat the grain so I caught it for you. Aren’t you proud of me? I’m getting better at this hunting thing. I hardly made a mess this time. No what are you doing? Don’t throw it out like that. Why are you giving me that look? Just because it’s a rodent doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a proper burial. That’s why I brought it to you.’ 

Thomas yowled at Miranda as he followed her outside in time to see her fling the poor dead creature into a bush. Thomas backed away from her with a feeble mew and hoped the mouse’ family wouldn’t come across it dead and broken in the middle of the shrub. 

Miranda gave Thomas a cold look, scooped him up and took him inside. Thomas gave another dejected mew. 

“What was all that about?” James asked from where he was getting the fire going to boil water for tea. 

“Thomas brought in a mouse again.” Miranda set him down beside the fire and sloshed water into a shallow bowl. She set it near the fire to warm and Thomas yowled at the sight of it. “I’m going to need to give him another bath.” 

James turned to look at Thomas with a raised eyebrow. Thomas looked between them, turned around and fled the house. James lunged after him and missed. 

Thomas spent the rest of the morning up a tree in disgust. ‘I can wash myself, thank you very much. My tongue is good enough for the job.’ 

It was lunchtime when James managed to coax him down with promises of chicken and ear scratches. 

‘I just hope they’ve forgotten about the bath or they’ll find cats hairs all over their pillows tomorrow.’ Thomas slunk back inside.


	3. Anne Bonny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a story of Thomas meeting James off the ship but then Anne Bonny turned up and I loved the idea of her trusting a cat and feeling comfortable around him.

Thomas sat at the end of the dock and watched The Walrus drop anchor. James had predicted the day they’d be back and first thing that morning Thomas had trotted into the town from their house on the outskirts to meet him. It didn’t usually take James too long to leave the ship and he had plenty to entertain himself with while he waited. He hoped Miranda had got used to him disappearing to meet James by now, but he knew he’d scared her the first few times. 

Footsteps along the dock made the boards vibrate but Thomas had learnt not to sit on one of the posts. The last time he’d done that someone had pushed him in. He’d been a soaking, hissing, spitting ball of fury by the time James had made land and pulled him off the pathetic pirate who’d pushed him. 

“You’re back then, Kitty.” Anne Bonny crouched down beside Thomas and scratched behind his ears. 

Thomas purred loudly and pushed his head into her hand. ‘I like you. You scare people but you give good strokes. I know you’re lonely. You’re like Miranda, she’s lonely too. I should try to introduce you two.’ 

“Hammond still hasn’t forgiven you for scratching holes in his face. He deserved it though. He’d kick you every time he sees you if it wasn’t for everyone thinking you’re Mrs Barlow’s familiar. No one wants a witch’s curse on them.” Anne glanced around them as she spoke softly. 

‘I like it when you talk to me. I like that you trust me. I won’t tell your secrets.” Thomas nuzzled her hand. 

“The whole town’s scared of you. How is it such a pretty kitty can make them cry like babes from just a hiss, yet I have to stab people before they understand not to cross me.” Anne continued stroking him as they watched the Walrus unload and the pirates make their way to shore. “Suppose I’d better let you meet your captain and bring him home to your witch.” Anne gave him one last tickle under the chin and walked off. 

Thomas watched her go with her hat pulled low and her hands on her knifes. ‘She and Miranda would be great friends.’

Thomas left the dock and walked down the beach to meet James as he jumped out the longboat. His James strode forward and scooped Thomas up before his dainty paws could touch the water. Thomas purred and pressed his face into James’ neck. 

“He coming to check you’re coming home?” Mr Gates asked. “Anyone would think he doesn’t trust you to go back to Mrs Barlow on your own.” 

James grunted and helped Thomas settle around his shoulders. ‘He’s being Flint again. Acting like he doesn’t have feelings and is vicious and cruel. If only they knew he’s a softy who likes cooking dinner and reading beside the fire. They probably don’t even know he’s ticklish.’ 

Thomas partially closed his eyes and watched James’ back in case of trouble. Vane would get the clawing of a lifetime if he dared go after his James again. ‘I’ll shred their draperies and flags too until Rackham learns to keep his captain under control. Maybe Anne Bonny will appreciate my improved mice catching skills when I put one in her crewmates boots. At least the little mouse will get a sea burial that way instead of being left to rot in a bush.’ 

James reached up to stroke Thomas’ head as he sat down to go through the ships accounts. Mr Gates rolled his eyes but not before he slipped Thomas a piece of fish. Thomas purred as he ate and James glared at the smell. He quickly calmed as Thomas wrapped his tail around James’ neck in a hug.


	4. Intervention

Since becoming a cat there were a few things that Thomas hated: baths, his James going to sea and children who threw things at Miranda and trod on his tail. ‘No, I’m still not sorry for hissing and spitting at that child until he runs sobbing to his mother every time he sees a cat. I saved the child’s life. Pirates aren’t exactly forgiving when things are thrown at them and neither are most witches.' 

The baths at least were over quickly, but James could be gone for weeks at a time. He’d come to learn the signs of when a James was going to leave them again. His body language shifted as he pulled Flint on again, he touched Thomas and Miranda like he was trying to memorize them and he also got his maps out. He had one open in front of him now. 

Thomas approached and leaped up onto the table where James was working and circled the paper. ‘You’re not allowed to leave. What if you don’t come back? How are Miranda and I supposed to cope without you. This is an intervention.’ Thomas flopped down onto his back directly over the part of the map James was studying. 

“Thomas, what are you doing?” James fixed him with a long look. 

Thomas just purred and tapped his paw against James’ cheek. James rolled his eyes and scooped Thomas into his lap. Thomas jumped straight back onto the map. 

“So it’s like that is it?” James raised his eyebrows. 

‘Yes. You hate piracy, you love us. Stay here and forget everything else.’ Thomas batted James’ spiked measuring thing off the table. He didn’t know what it was called but he hated it. It helped his James leave them and that was an unforgivable crime for any tool to commit. 

“I’ll come back. I always do. I’ve got you and Miranda guiding me home. I’ll only be a week at most this time.” James tickled under Thomas’ chin. 

Thomas leaned into it then pulled back. ‘That won’t work this time. No ear scratches or chin tickles are going to make me move from this map.’

They locked eyes and James smiled. “You always were too stubborn for your own good. An ancient spell book is on that ship and I’m getting it for you. Now let me work.” James grabbed Thomas kissed him on the nose and shut him the bedroom. 

‘This is an outrage! How dare you! A prisoner in our own bedroom. The pillows may be soft and the sheets may smell of you, but this is a poor substitute for having you with me. You leave me no choice.” Thomas spent the rest of the afternoon dragging James’ shirts under the bed and making himself a cosy James-scented nest.


	5. Life for Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't the last scene. They're just in the order I write them and get the ideas for them so there are many more Kitty!Thomas scenes to come. 
> 
> This was requested by Flintsredhair over tumblr. 
> 
> I cried while writing this one which I wasn't expecting.

Thomas was itching all over and had even allowed Miranda to bath him without a fuss. His skin was raw from scratching and he was laid on a sunlit window sill feeling sorry for himself. He yowled miserably and watched a family of birds in a tree near the house. 

“What’s wrong with Thomas?” James asked from across the room. He'd come back from sea that morning and Thomas hadn't been at the beach to great him. 

Thomas’ ear twitched but he didn’t look around at them where they were sat at the kitchen table. 

“I don’t know. He’s been off his food for days and today he was scratching so much I was sure he had flees.” Miranda lowered her voice further and said, “What if this is it? He’s been a cat for ten years and they’re not know for living that long. What if we’re losing him and we’re going to wake up one morning to find he’s passed away in his sleep? What if we never get him back? I’ve tried every counter spell I’ve ever heard of and many of which I hadn’t. Nothing is strong enough to undo the spell I cast on him. What are we going to do, James?” Miranda finished speaking with a sob. 

Thomas wanted to go over and comfort them but he didn’t feel strong enough. Maybe he was dying. He felt like his first days as a cat where he could hardly get four legs and a tail under control enough to walk without looking drunk. 

‘If I go soon. I need you to know I love you both, and I’ve never blamed you for any of this. I’ve been happy and cared for in your arms, regardless as my state as a feline. I’ll always love you and you’ll always be mine.’ Thomas closed his eyes and let out a pitiful whine. 

James and Miranda stayed close to him through the day and let him know they loved him with all their hearts. Thomas didn’t move from his window sill and only held out his paw to them to hold. ‘I could die happy like this, if not for the pain of knowing what going would do to you both.’ 

Night fell and Thomas refused to join them in bed. He couldn’t bare for James to wake in the morning and find Thomas had gone still and cold against his chest. He couldn’t bare listening to Miranda sobbing herself to sleep while he could do nothing to comfort her. Thomas watched the night through the window and prayed they’d look after each other when he was gone. That they’d find happiness and love without him with them. He didn’t want to be forgotten by them, but the idea of their heartbreak at his loss was too much for him to bare. 

As the first rays of dawn light warming Thomas toppled off the window sill and hit the floor with a loud thump of long pale limbs. Thomas lifted a hand up to his head where he’d hit it against the floor and his breath stuttered at the sight of it. He had fingers, thumbs, palms and soft skin devoid of fur. 

“M-Miranda. Miranda! James!” Thomas’ voice was a soft croak and felt wrong in his mouth. It sounded even stranger, like the voice of a long-missed friend. 

Clattering footsteps came from the bedroom and James darted into the room and across to where Thomas lay sprawled on the floor. He fell to his knees and Thomas’ side and cupped his face in his hands. 

“You’re back. We’ve got you back.” James’ pressed their foreheads together. “You’re even more beautiful than I remember.” Thomas reached up to touch James’ check and guided their mouths to meet in a soft kiss. It felt like he was coming home. Kissing James was better than all the ear scratches and chin tickles in the world. 

Miranda knelt at their sides and draped a blanket over Thomas’ furless body. James pulled back enough for Miranda to enfold Thomas in her arms. He slumped against her and held his hand out for James to take. 

“I’m so sorry, my darling. You should never have had to go through all that. I thought we were going to lose you.” Miranda kissed his temple and tears fell from both their eyes as James held them tightly to his chest. 

“Miranda, let’s get Thomas to bed. We can dig out clothes for you later, Thomas, but I don’t want to let you out of reach for even a moment,” James said. 

Thomas wrapped the blanket around himself and let James and Miranda support his weight and guide him to bed. It felt wonderful to be tall again and able to kiss back. He had so much he needed to tell them, but first he wanted to relearn their bodies and not leave their bed for days. 

“I love you both. With all my heart.” Thomas took their hands as he lay between them on a bed that was designed for three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn't clear, the spell that turned Thomas into a cat wore off on its own.


	6. Bathtime

Thomas had purred from his position wrapped around James’ shoulders the whole way back from the beach. James shut the door behind him as they came into the house and Miranda paused where she was brewing healing potions by the fire. James set Thomas down on the floor and dropped a kiss on his nose. 

“You need a bath. You’re covered in sand.” James set his weapons down on the table. 

‘Your concern is noted but I’m quite content to clean myself.’ Thomas trotted over to Miranda and rubbed his body against her. 

“He’s right, Thomas. You’re a mess. James, can you get a water from the well while I finish up here.” Miranda turned back to her brewing. 

‘I am not staying for this. Come find me in a tree when you’ve come to your sense-James!’ Thomas had been on his way to the door with his nose in the air when James had swooped down and captured him. 

“Don’t even think of running off. You smell of seaweed and you’re having a bath. Honestly, Miranda, was it this difficult to get him to wash when he was human?” James asked. 

“No, he always hated being dirty. I think his pride is being wounded by us washing him.” Miranda set her potion to one side before she bottled it. “Give him to me while you get the water.” 

Thomas mewed pathetically as he was passed from one love to another. ‘I love you both, but this isn’t ok. I will have my revenge for this. No cuddles for the rest of the day.’

James brought in the water and transferred it to the shallow bowl they used for Thomas’ bath. Miranda warmed it with a touch of her hand and Thomas’ whiskers tingled at the magic. She set him into the water and Thomas yowled. 

‘James is lying to you. I’m already clean. I cleaned this morning while I was waiting for him. I love you but if you get that rag out to wash behind my tail I will get cat hair on all your clothes. No! Not the cup.’ Thomas yowled as a cup of water was poured gently over his head. It trickled down his back and narrowly avoided his ears. His fur stuck to him and he sneezed. ‘James! James! Stop laughing and rescue me. Traitors both of you.’ 

Once Miranda decided he was sufficiently clean and unhappy she lifted him out of the bowl and wrapped him up in a big towel. James chucked the old water outside and Miranda rubbed Thomas until he was as dry as she could get him. 

James came back in with a grin and joined them at the table. “I think Betsy likes you. She’s got good taste, you’re very handsome, but if we could avoid a litter of kittens it would be appreciated. It would be difficult to explain to them that their father is actually a human.” 

Thomas gave him a hiss. ‘James, I hate you. I will put claw marks on your boots and cat hair on your pillow. I won’t be sleeping on your chest tonight and if you think some ear scratches and a tickle under the chin is going to make this better then I will put a mouse on your maps and see if it bleeds over anything important.’

Thomas left them in a huff and curled up on their bed until they joined him at nightfall. He stretched and stood with the intention of finding somewhere else to spend the night. James held out a book to him. Thomas sniffed at the cover but struggled to read with his cat eyes. They didn’t focus right and he was irritatingly long-sighted in this form. 

“We thought we’d take it in turns to read for you.” Miranda ran her hand through his fur. Thomas purred and settled in her lap to listen as James opened the book and started from where they’d last left off. 

They passed the book back and forth every couple of pages and Thomas rolled off Miranda’s lap and onto the bed between them. On his back, he gazed up the two he loved more than anything in the whole world. They were his and he was theirs.


	7. Hat Stealing

Thomas trotted through the town looking for Anne Bonny. Usually she found him sitting on the dock so he wasn’t sure where he’d find her. Today was an emergency, and he wasn’t going to stop until he found her. 

James had been gone for a month now on some complicated hunt and left Thomas and Miranda wracked with worry for him. Worse though was the loneliness that had taken over Miranda that no amount of cuddles from Thomas could cure. So he’d devised a plan: he was finally going to introduce Miranda and Anne. 

Thomas found Anne at the Ranger camp sat beside Jack Rackham and sharpening her knifes. Her hat was pulled low as she watched Captain Vane and Rackham arguing. She was glaring at both of them until Thomas approached and put a paw on her knee. 

“What you doing here? Flint’s not been spotted in the area for a while.” Her expression softened as she spoke to him. 

Thomas meowed and rested his other front paw on her knee. ‘Let me sit with you. You look like you need company and my plan won’t work from this angle. Let me show you affection, how long has it been that someone touched you softly?’ 

Anne gave a heavy sigh and set her weapons aside so she could lift Thomas onto her lap. Thomas purred and curled up in her lap. ‘I’ve all afternoon. I don’t want to waste this by pushing too fast and have you unhappy with me. I'll let you get used to me here first.’ 

“Does your witch know you’re here, Pretty Kitty? I don’t think she’d be happy to find you out visiting and Flint won’t like you being around here.” Anne stroked Thomas’ head with slowly increasing confidence. 

Vane and Rackham seemed to have come to agreement and Rackham turned to Anne. He paused at the sight of Thomas on her lap. 

“How long has he been here? Anne? How much has he heard?” Rackham eyed Thomas and Vane turned his head sharply to do the same. 

‘I haven’t heard anything. Can’t you see I’m busy and you were being boring talking about loot and prizes and keeping your foul crew happy.’ Thomas pressed his head into Anne’s hand. ‘Why are you stopping? I was enjoying that.’

“What’s it matter? He’s just a cat,” Anne said. 

‘Not true, but look I’m totally harmless and sweet.’ Thomas rolled over onto his back and narrowly avoided falling off her knees. 

“He’s the witch's familiar. He could be their spy and all our work would be for nothing if she gives Flint the information to go after the same prizes as us,” Rackham said. 

“I can’t do this. Sort this cat problem out. I’m going for a drink.” Vane left the tent with only a wary look in Thomas’ direction. 

“He’s a cat. How much harm can he even do? It’s not like he can tell her what he heard.” Anne resumed her stroking him. 

“Witch’s familiars are supposed to be able to communicate with their witch and given his obvious closeness to her and Flint I think it’s clear where his loyalties lie. I’m sorry, Anne, but he probably sees you as an easy target.” Rackham sat beside them and Thomas hissed at him. 

‘How dare you? Are you trying to isolate her or do you think you’re keeping her safe? Let her enjoy someone’s company for a change, instead of just surviving at your side.’ Thomas nudged at Anne’s neck and offered her a purr. 

She stopped stroking him and set him back on the floor. Thomas looked up at her and gave a disappointed mew. He put a paw on her boot and stayed where he was. 

‘If I push now you’ll be convinced that he’s right. Maybe this can be fixed if I just seem cute and uninterested.’ Thomas felt their eyes on him and licked his paws to clean his face. 

He was a good way through his bath on the floor when Rackham gave a huff and left with a mutter about talking to the crew. 

Anne reached forward and picked him up. She cradled him in her arms like a baby and the vulnerability in her face made Thomas’ heart ache. He reached up and pressed a paw to her cheek. 

‘You don’t deserve to be lonely. Let me help you. I hate to see you and my Miranda so sad when you’d be so much happier if you just had someone to talk to. Please don’t be scared of her, and please forgive me for what I’m about to do.’ Thomas wriggled out of her hold and onto her shoulder. 

“I think Flint will be upset if you sleep on my shoulders like you would for him. You’re not going to betray us, are you? I don’t think Jack’s right. I don’t believe you can talk, and the only way you can communicate is the way any cat can even if you could understand a word of what we’re saying.” Anne reached up and scratched his ears. 

Thomas purred loudly. He nuzzled against her head and it was easy to topple her hat onto the floor and make it look unintentional. 

They both looked down at where it had fallen onto the floor. Anne moved carefully to not dislodge him as she went to pick it up. Thomas leaped down and reached it first. He batted at it with his paws and pulled it out of her reach. 

“Kitty, give me back my hat. You can’t use it for your nest or whatever you sleep in.” Anne made a grab for it and Thomas pulled it out of her reach again. 

They continued like that until they got to the entrance of the tent. Then Thomas picked it up with his mouth as best he could and started running. 

“Kitty! Give me back my hat!” Anne came running out after him. She was faster than Thomas gave her credit for. 

He kept almost tripping over the bottom of the hat and had to put it down multiple times to adjust his grip. He was relieved that their house was only on the outskirts of the town. He didn’t think he could have kept ahead of Anne Bonny for much longer. 

Thomas couldn’t get up the steps with the cat at his mouth. With a glance behind him he dropped it at the bottom of the steps and leaped up to the door. He scrabbled and yowled at it. 

Anne Bonny caught up her hat and dusted it off. Her sent Thomas a cold look and jammed it back on her head. 

Miranda opened the door and looked down at Thomas with surprise. She scooped him up into her arms and he pressed against her with a purr. 

“Thomas, what’s wrong? Why didn’t you just come through the window?” Miranda asked him. 

Anne edged away but Miranda heard her. She snapped her eyes up where Anne was leaving. Anne paused under her gaze. 

“Your cat stole my hat. I’ll just be leaving,” Anne said. 

“Thomas stole your hat?” Miranda gave him a surprised look. “Then he must have wanted us to meet. Would you like to come inside?” 

The was vulnerability in Miranda’s face as she asked. She’d grown so used to be being shunned unless her magic was needed, that she was sure even this strange, pirate woman wouldn’t want anything to do with her. Anne looked at her face and saw something there that she hadn’t been expecting. Thomas looked between them and waited to see if his plan would work. 

“I don’t think Captain Flint would want me bothering you. Things are tense enough between him and Vane without me making it worse.” Anne didn’t move. 

“James has never been able to deny Thomas anything. I’m curious as to what Thomas’ plan was by bringing you here, if you come in we might be able to work it out.” Miranda braced herself for the familiar rejection. Even in Nassau people didn't want to associate with a known witch. 

“Alright.” Anne’s voice was quiet as she stepped forward and paused at the warm smile that spread across Miranda’s face. 

“Leave your boots by the door and I’ll make us some tea.” Miranda set Thomas down onto the floor. 

Thomas purred and brushed against their legs before settling on the windowsill to watch them develop a tentative friendship.


	8. Blue Ribbon

Thomas woke from his nap beside the fire to the sound of sobbing. It didn’t sound like Miranda and Thomas dashed to the bedroom to find what could have hurt his James. James was sat on the floor with his back against the bed and cradled his old blue hair ribbon in his hands. 

Thomas edged forward and pressed his nose to James’ hand. He looked up into the heart broken face of the man he adored. ‘James? If only I could hold you and offer you the comfort you need. My love, I can’t bear to see you in such pain. I want to protect you from the world that’s hurt you. I want to create a world that safe for you. You deserve so much happiness and I have no means of giving it to you.’ 

Thomas put a paw on James’ hand and James finally looked at him. ‘If you want me to leave you in peace I will.’ 

James let one end of the ribbon dangle in front of Thomas’ nose. He twitched it and Thomas struggled to keep his eyes away from the movement. ‘Stop teasing me James. I can’t concentrate with it moving like that.’ 

James increase the ribbon’s movements and Thomas swiped at it. James raised it up and Thomas stood on his back legs to try and grab it. It was jerked out of his reach and he toppled forward onto James’ lap. 

“I should have chucked this into the ocean when we fled, or just left it behind with the rest of our things in London. When I realised I still had this fucking thing I hid it away and hoped I’d never have to see it again.” James set the ribbon down in front of Thomas and stroked him slowly. “I've tried to forget all that happened but I keep hearing his voice as my life fell apart. In his eyes, my love for you was weakness that he couldn’t accept. To _profane_ and _loathsome_ that everything before it and all affection he had for me was destroyed. I loved him as a father and now I can’t even bear to hate him.” James’ body shook with the force of his sobs. 

Thomas stood up on James’ legs and pressed his face into James’ neck. ‘There are so many things I want to say to you. How unworthy he is of your love, how you are the best man I have ever known, how I will love you unconditionally, but I can’t say any of these things. So just hold me tight and let me show you.’ 

“There was no warning or indication before we stepped into his office and Alfred Hamilton was there. He’d listened to me propose our plan as if nothing had changed only to turn on me once we had an audience. Humiliate me to maximum effect while everything I’d build, that he’d helped me build, crumbled around me. I don’t understand, was I wrong? Perhaps he never cared for me at all.” James ran his shaking hands over Thomas’ fur. “I’ll never know. He was quite clear that he never wanted to hear from me again and I couldn’t face him even if he did. If he wasn’t ashamed of me before he would be after he knew what I’ve done since.” 

‘He has every right and reason to feel ashamed. Not for what you’ve done, but for how he treated you. He does not deserve your tears, but, my love, you deserve to heal and to be free of his opinions.’ Thomas nuzzled James’ face. 

“Oh Thomas, if only you could talk. I don’t even know if you can understand me. Miranda says you can, but I look at you and sometimes it seems that only your eyes are the same. I can’t help but think, that maybe we’ve already lost you. A long time ago.” 

Thomas gave a pained mew and pulled away to look James in the eyes. They stared at each other and Thomas picked up the forgotten blue ribbon. He twisted his head around as far as it went and dropped the ribbon over his shoulder. 

“You want me to tie it around your neck? Like when you used to steal it from my hair when we were alone and have me tie it around your wrist.” James picked up the ends and wrapped it loosely around Thomas’ neck. 

Thomas purred and closed his eyes as James tied a bow behind his head. 

“There, better than any navy mouser or London parlour pet.” James kissed Thomas on the top of the head. 

‘Do you like it? It feels a little strange. Do you believe it’s me now? I can’t remove the hurt that Admiral Hennessey caused you, but I can make happier memories with your ribbon.’ Thomas reached up and rested his paws on James’ chest to steady himself as he licked away James’ tears. ‘I love you. I love you. You are my truest love.’

“I’d be lost without you.” James gathered Thomas up in his arms and they left the bedroom to show Miranda the improved use for James’ old ribbon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am planning to have another chapter about James' dismissal where Hennessey will be able to say his piece, but for this chapter I just wanted to focus on James healing.


	9. Shifting Sands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really happy with this one and there's none of Thomas' thoughts in it, but I hope it's ok.

Woodes Rogers came with the pardons while Thomas was still adjusting to being human again. He arrived at their house and was met at the door by a glaring James. Thomas remained seated at the table and waited for James to decide whether to allow Rogers to enter. 

The change in height and limbs was messing with his balance. He knew James and Miranda preferred it when he stayed in one place when they weren't there to catch him when he fell. His balance was improving and his falls had become less common, but he knew they worried he would hit his head on something and pass out. He wasn’t used to being able to talk again either and found himself listening to almost entire conversations before remembering that he could join in. 

“What do you want? I signed the pardon, we all did, not that they’ve done anything to need them.” James crossed his arms over his chest to stop his hand reaching for the sword on his belt that was no longer there. 

“I understand Thomas Hamilton is here. I wanted to speak with him. With all of you. You must know that it was your plan that we used. I wanted to offer you something in exchange for the help you unwittingly gave me. May I come in?” Rogers said. 

“James, let him in. Please,” Thomas said. 

James jerked at the sound of Thomas’ voice that he was still getting used to hearing again. The tension eased from his body and he took a step back to allow Rogers to enter. 

“You leave your weapons at the door,” James said. He watched Rogers disarm, then went to fetch Miranda. 

There was an awkward silence as they all sat around the table with James and Miranda both tensing, Rogers not appearing to know how to start the conversation and Thomas too disconcerted still with being at the same eye level as them. 

“I’ll admit I have a second reason for offering you a deal, as I don’t want the Witch of Nassau as my enemy.” Rogers outlined his offer of integrating them into the top society of the new Nassau. He left after an hour with the promise of giving them a few days to make their decision. 

James, Miranda and Thomas relocated to the bedroom and lounged across each other. 

“I had thought we should go to Boston, but perhaps we could stay here,” Miranda said as she ran her fingers through Thomas’ hair. 

Thomas hummed at the feel and closed his eyes. He was still so tactile after so long as a cat that any little touches from the two he loved left him in a state of bliss. James pressed a kiss to Thomas’ forehead. 

“You have your business here and people who rely on you for potions and spells. He’s right about Nassau needing a witch, and what better than you who already knows the island’s needs. We have enough rent from our land and business to live comfortably and it would be simple enough to transfer that over to Thomas’ name. I still have money from my piracy that we can use while things are changing,” James said. 

“Will you be going back to the sea?” Thomas asked. 

“No. My place is here with you two. Nassau will continue to be a rough place for a while yet, so I will take the position of your bodyguard.” James linked his fingers with Thomas and Miranda’s. “If you’ll have me.” 

“James! Don’t be silly. As if we’d want you to leave you after all that’s happened.” Miranda kissed him and James relaxed. 

“To move to Boston would be a big upheaval, although we wouldn’t have to worry about explaining my appearance to your crew if we did.” Thomas rested his head under James chin. It was the closest he could get to laying on his chest. “I know the society here will be a little limit compared to what you’ve wanted, Miranda, but it will have the music and joy you’ve been dreaming of.”

“And if after a year it’s not enough for you, for any of us, then we’ll go somewhere else and send the rest of our lives in the happiness we’ve found. Say the word and I will move oceans to live in the light of your joy.” James touched their checks and Thomas pulled him into a kiss. 

“Is that settled then?” Thomas looked over at Miranda when they broke apart. 

“Yes, I think so.” Miranda kissed the tip of Thomas’ nose. 

Kisses and touches replaced words and they didn’t leave the bed until gone noon the next day. The future as a human again was less daunting in the arms of his loves with the promise of all the happiness to come and continue.


	10. Rescued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's so late. I had a family get together this weekend and couldn't take my laptop with me.

Thomas hit the water with a loud splash and started to sink. He flailed around as the salt water went up his nose and stung his eyes. ‘Help! Help! I’m drowning. I’m going to drown. James! James! Someone! If I die like this I’ll wash ashore and my James and Miranda will be heartbroken. Help!’ 

There was a sharp pinch on the scruff of his neck then he was pulled from the water. Thomas spluttered and yowled as he was settled against his saviour’s chest down the front of his shirt. 

‘Thank you. Thank you. Please take me to James. I’m cold and wet and I just him to hold me.’ Thomas pressed himself against the warm chest and mewed pitifully. 

“There, it’s alright. We’ll get you safe and dry on-board ship.” Degroot ran a knuckle over the back of Thomas’ head. 

“Is that the captain’s cat?” Dr Howell asked from beside them. 

“I’ll take him to him and we’ll see,” Degroot said. 

“Good thing you spotted him. I don’t think he would have last much longer in there. Poor thing.” Dr Howell reached over and stroked Thomas. 

Once on the Walrus Degroot took Thomas into the Captain’s Cabin. Thomas poked head out the top of Degroot’s shirt and met James’ horrified gaze. James was out of his chair and across the room in an instant. 

‘James. Hold me and never let me go. I thought I’d never see you again. I was so scared. The sea is so mean.’ Thomas held out his paws to James and Degroot transferred him into his James’ arms. 

“Why are you so wet? What happened?” James cradled Thomas against his chest and looked at Degroot for answers. 

“I found him near half drowned in the sea on the way over. Don’t know how he got there, but I only just spotted him. Dr Howell thought he looked like your Thomas so I brought him straight over. If that’s all I’d better get back to my duties.” Degroot offered them both an awkward nod and turned to leave. 

“Mr Degroot? Thank you,” James said in a choked voice. 

“No worries.” Degroot left. 

James pressed his face into Thomas’ fur and put him down the front of his shirt to warm Thomas, just as Degroot had done. 

Thomas mewed and pressed his body against James. ‘James, he saved me. We must love him now. He must be invited over for dinner with Gates so that he may stroke me. James, James! Don’t cry. He saved me. I’m alive. I’m here.’ 

James got him dry with his shirt and pressed kisses to Thomas’ nose, head and ears. “I should get you home to Miranda before she worries where you’ve got to. I can’t take you with me, my love, I won’t risk your safety like that. I will be back soon, I promise.” 

James took him back to shore and delivered him into Miranda’s arms with a kiss for them both. Thomas nuzzled Miranda’s shoulder as she took him inside to get warm beside the fire.


	11. Visitor

Thomas’ ears pricked up at the sound of something outside the house. He wasn’t a noise that he recognised. They’d been here two months and he’d thought he was familiar with all the different sounds of Nassau at night by now. He heard the sounds again and stood up on James’ chest pounding his paws. 

‘James, wake up. I hear something. We need to go investigate. What if it’s pirates come to hurt you? What if it’s someone who hates witches and wants to get rid of Miranda?’ Thomas pushed his face into James’. 

James jerked away and they blinked at each other as James realised it was just Thomas who had woken him. 

“Thomas, my love, go back to sleep. It’s not even dawn yet.” James ran a hand along Thomas’ back to try and settle him. 

‘Alright. If you won’t investigate, then I suppose I’ll have to. I won’t have anything happen to either of you.’ Thomas wriggled out from James’ warm arms and jumped off the bed. 

The window in the main room was a little loose and Thomas was able to push it open with his paw enough to slip outside. ‘Right, time to work out what that weird scratch and whine noise is.’ 

Thomas surveyed the area and when he couldn’t see anything he trotted out a little further. He circled the house and as he came back near the front door he heard the noise again. There was a strange smell in the air and Thomas followed it to the noise. 

‘Oh! It’s a dog. How cute. I hope it isn’t the hunting type. What’s it doing out here?” Thomas slunk closer. 

The dog paused its whining and scratching to lift its head and sniff the air. Thomas pressed his body low to the ground and stopped moving. The dog turned and looked straight at Thomas. They watched each other until Thomas stood. 

‘Are you friendly? Do you want food? I don’t have any but James and Miranda might give you some when they wake. You’ll just need to wait until morning. Why are you looking at me like that?” Thomas edged back as the dog bared its teeth and took a step towards him. 

Thomas could feel the change in the air at the same time the dog started running for him. Thomas spun around and fled for his favourite tree. He scrambled up the trunk and into the branches out of the dog’s reach. Thomas let out a hiss at the dog and his fur stood on end. 

Perhaps the dog would have quickly lost interest in him if it hadn’t started raining heavily at that moment. The dog realised that the tree gave some shelter from the rain and stayed where it was with its eyes never leaving Thomas cowering and soggy form. 

‘Go away. I’m not food or a toy. Go bother someone else. I want to go back inside where it’s warm and dry. I want to be cuddled by James and Miranda not stuck up a tree being guarded by you!’ Thomas yowled and yowled in the hopes of James and Miranda hearing and coming to his rescue.

It was gone dawn by the time Thomas’ cries were heard and James came out to rescue him. He scared the dog off with a shout and held his arms out for Thomas to jump into. He gave a grunt as Thomas landed more on his chest than in his arms, then cradled Thomas bedraggled form against him and took him inside. 

‘Thank you, James. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.’ Thomas nuzzled James’ face. 

“We need to get you dry. Miranda, could you pass me that cloth?” James dried him off while Miranda prepared breakfast. 

“What were you doing outside?” Miranda asked as she brought the plates to the table. She had a plate in each hand and a little dish floated beside her. She set her and James’ breakfast down and made the floating dish land in front of Thomas on the table so that he could eat with them. 

Thomas gave her a happy mew and nibbled at the fish she’d given him. 

“Being frightened by a dog by the look of it. I’ll need to fix that window so that Thomas can’t get out on his own.” James scratched behind Thomas’ ears. 

Thomas purred. ‘That’s unnecessary. I’ll be more careful next time.’ 

“I’m glad he’s safe. It shouldn’t be long before I find a counter spell that works.” Miranda sat down and she and James tucked into their breakfast with their eyes on Thomas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a request for Thomas being caught in the rain and needing to be rescued. I also got another request for Thomas waking James up in the middle of the night because he wanted to go outside. So I combined them and this was the result.


	12. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not very happy with this one, but I hope it's ok.

Thomas had gone to sleep on Miranda’s chest that night. James was at sea and they took comfort from each other in his absence. It felt similar to how they’d curl up around each other during the early years of their marriage, when Thomas craved the physical affection he’d not had while growing up. Just holding each other late at night and not knowing how to say what they needed.

They lay there incomplete, and nightmares affected them both. The heavy scent of magic filled the room as Miranda cast protective spells around them as they slept and tried to fight off unseen aggressors in her dreams. It made Thomas' whiskers twitch. 

Thomas dreamt of a cage surrounded by sugar cane and men with cudgels stood around watching the two locked away. Thomas was a songbird flapping at the top of the cage with eyes only for the ginger cat below him. James scared them, so the guards locked him away with only a pretty songbird to distract him from their watchful presence. 

He knew Miranda was lost to them; dead on a shore they’d never see again. The pain in James’ eyes was more than Thomas could bare. He fluttered down to rest on his paw and accepted whatever fate his James would give him. 

‘Is my presence enough? Can being together fill the distance between us? Created by the different languages we speak and the body languages we don’t know well enough to read. Can our love survive when our freedom is gone? My James what have they done to you?’ 

The cat pulled Thomas close and set him on the freshly turned earth of the bottom of the cage. James curled around Thomas and hissed at their guards. Thomas refused to fly and James refused to hunt. Their lives reduced to demonstrating their rebellion by doing nothing at all. 

Thomas woke disorientated and mewed up at Miranda who had moved to sit against the headboard. She’d placed Thomas on her hip as she dried her eyes on James’ shirt. Miranda held the shirt out to Thomas who sniffed it. It smelt of James and Thomas let out a purr. 

“I had an awful dream.” Miranda tickled under Thomas’ chin. 

‘Tell me about it?’ Thomas stood up and stretched the sleep from his body. He walked up the incline of her body and settled himself around her shoulders to purr in her ear. 

“I dreamed we were back in London and Alfred Hamilton’s men were there to rip you from us. My magic wouldn’t work and all I could do was scream as you sobbed and begged me to live. I knew we’d never see you again; that we’d never save you. I saw James and I leave without you, while you sat in a freezing cell with barely a blanket or clothes. I saw you withdraw into your mind until you feel nothing and perceive even less all while they tortured you.” Miranda shook with sobs and brought her hand up to touch Thomas’ cheek.

Thomas let out a yowl and they sat in silence to watch dawn break and wash the nightmares away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by a tumblr thread I saw about James and Thomas' imprisonment where James was described as an angry cat in a cage and Thomas a pretty bird kept there to distract him.


	13. Exchange of Letters

Thomas picked up the copy he’d made of the letter he’d sent to Admiral Hennessey. He hadn’t needed to make the copy but writing it out a second time had felt like good practice after so long. With each line, it got easier to hold the quill and his handwriting now resembled, at least in passing, what it’d used to be. 

He wanted to refresh him memories of what he’d written before opening Admiral Hennessey’s reply. It was for the best that James didn’t know what he’d done, as Thomas couldn’t guaranty a favourable result. He hadn’t wanted to get James’ hopes up that things could be repaired between him and his father only to have them dashed by casual cruelty. That is if James hadn’t forbidden him from even trying. 

Admiral Hennessey, 

It is my understanding that things were said during the dismissal of Lieutenant James E McGraw that were out of your character, Sir. Perhaps you did mean them as McGraw believes and he has been wrong about your character for all the time he knew you. However, having spent the last ten years as a cat I know only too well that intentions can be lost when only the actions and outcomes are able to speak for themselves. 

Should your character be as he always thought, and should he be wrong and I be right about the nature of your intentions on that day. I am offering you a chance to make amends with your adopted son. James E McGraw. 

He is unaware that I am writing to you. If your answer is a negative I will burn it long before he has any chance to see you renew the statements you made to him upon his dismissal. By my contacting and not his, I’m sure you will agree that the terms of your deal with him have not been breached. He has made no contact with you nor has he set foot on English soil. Other than when it changes ownership beneath his feet. 

Before I end this letter and grant you this second chance, it is important that you are made aware that McGraw has been crucial in the peaceful resettlement of New Providence Island. If you do not believe my word I welcome you to write to Woodes Rogers and inquire as to the nature of McGraw’s assistance. I am sure he will be most willing to describe the capture of Jack Rackham and Charles Vane of which McGraw organised and carried out. Although Rackham escaped under Rogers’ watch, before being transported to England for his trial, no attempt has been made to restart his resistance of the governorship here. Something widely held to be the caused by his fear of McGraw. 

I shall await your reply. 

Regards

Thomas Hamilton. 

Thomas set the letter aside and opened Hennessey’s reply. His handwriting was nearly identical to James’, with Hennessey’s lettering only being a touch larger than those James wrote. 

Thomas Hamilton, 

I will admit I was torn how to start this letter. Whether it should be to confirm that I do wish to make amends, or if it should the line should simply be ‘You were a cat for 10 years?’. I will further admit I had to take a break from reading your letter upon learning this information. So in the spirit of good will and reconciliation, please accept the enclosed pennyroyal and wormwood seeds. I do not know if they grow on New Providence Island-

The rest of the paragraph was too smudgy to read and Thomas had no interest to read it further. He glared at the page and could feel Hennessey’s mirth through the ink stained page. He skimmed through the rest of the letter to find that was addressed to James and not him. There was a small envelope inside the larger one the letter arrived in. Thomas opened it to find the promised seeds for the flea remedy enclosed. Thomas pulled a face and grabbed the letters. He found James reading in the main room. 

“James there’s something I think you should read.” Thomas set the two letters down on the table in front of his love and dropped a kiss onto his forehead. “I hope you don’t mind that I went behind your back, but I knew how much it had upset you. I wanted to make things right, but I didn’t want to give you false hope if he turned out to have meant every word he said against you. I hope you’ll forgive me.” 

Thomas walked away to let him read them in peace and went outside to enjoy the sun. He only had to wait ten minutes before he heard James’ footsteps behind him. 

“Are we planting these then?” Humour lit up James’ face as he held out the seeds that Hennessey had enclosed. 

“Trust you both to have the same sense of humour.” Thomas closed his hand over James’ to take the seeds. “I’m glad he wants to fix things, but he’s a terrible person for laughing at my expense. I’ve never had fleas!” Thomas couldn’t help smiling. 

“Thank you for writing to him.”

“Well one of us should have the chance to mend things with our fathers and we both know I can’t with mine.” Thomas threw the seeds into one of Miranda’s herb beds. 

“I never thought I would get this chance, let me show you how grateful I am.” James pulled Thomas inside. Their lips met as soon as the door was closed.


	14. Flying Curse

There was a loud banging on the front door and Thomas sprang up from Miranda’s lap. James crossed the room with pistol in hand and wrenched the door open. Anne bonny and Charles Vane stood on the other side supporting a cursed Rackham between them. 

“We need the witch,” Vane said. 

“He got hit by a curse during a raid. You’re the only one I know who can help.” Anne ignored the men around her and locked eyes with Miranda. 

“Bring him into the spare room. I’ll see what I can do for him.” Miranda scooped Thomas into her arms as she stood up. 

James glared at Vane but stepped aside to allow them to pass. 

Rackham wasn’t conscious as he was settled on the bed and Miranda shooed everyone but Anne out of the room. 

James frowned and Thomas brushed against Anne’s legs. 

‘James, I trust her. Miranda is safe with her. Anne needs to stay with Rackham or she and Vane will fear for his safety more than necessary.’ Thomas trotted to James and put his front paws on James’ legs as high as he could reach. ‘I’m more concerned by you and Vane being alone together.’ 

James picked Thomas up and put him around his shoulders like he would when they were down at the beach. 

James and Vane took up positions on the opposite sides of the main room and continued to glare at each other. 

Thomas batted at James’ ear when the tension got too much for him. ‘He’s not going to try anything. Not with his quartermaster’s skin all crusty and his life depending on Miranda’s magic. Relax, my love.’

James reached up and scratched behind Thomas’ ears and got a soft purr in return. 

“James, I need my ingredients bag, the blue spell book on the second shelf of the bookcase and a bucket of water,” Miranda called through from the spare bedroom. 

“The well’s outside. I trust you can fetch the water.” James pointed to the door. 

Vane gave a stiff nod and left the house. James gathered up the spell book and ingredients bag and took it through. 

Miranda was knelt on the bed with her hands hovering over Rackhams’ chest. Thomas’ mewed pitifully at the intensity of tinging in his whiskers from the magic. He pressed his face into the side of James’ neck. Anne was leaning against the wall opposite the bed with her knuckles white on the hilts of her daggers. 

James and Vane passed in the hall. James put the kettle over the fire and sat at the table. When Vane returned he gestured for him to them. 

Thomas batted at a lock of hair that had fallen free of its tie and kept up a soothing purr. ‘Please don’t get into a fight. Miranda will be very unhappy if you do.’ 

“How’d it happen?” James asked.

‘You’re being Flint again aren’t you.’ Thomas would have given a heavy sigh but he’d lost the ability since becoming a cat. 

“Should have been a standard raid. Dangerous, but not on this level. Turns out they were transporting some crazed witch to England. Some former lady or something. Rackham got it into his head to talk her into joining our crew. Course as soon as he’d unchained her she’d hit him with the curse, turned into an albatross and flown ship.” Vane kicked at a table leg. 

Thomas’ head jerked up. ‘My mother could turn into an albatross. She took my sister with her, but left me and my brothers behind.’

“Who was the witch?” James asked. 

“Not one I’d heard of. Hamilton? Dropped this as she left.” Vane set a necklace on the table. 

Thomas yowled and jumped down next to it. He poked it with his paw and yowled again. ‘It’s hers. It’s Mary’s. My sisters’. I remember mother giving it to her.’ 

“Thomas? What’s wrong? Do you know it?” James leaned forward to take a closer look at the ruby set in silver. 

Thomas batted it off the table and let out another yowl. James and Vane were both staring at him but he didn’t care. His yowls subsided into mews and he curled up on the table with his head tucked under his tail. ‘They left me with Alfred Hamilton. They left me to suffer at his hands. Mary is still alive, but where is mother?’

Miranda returned to the main room as night fell. She had a green tinge to her skin from overexerting her magic for hours. “I’ve done all I’m able. He will wake soon, but it could take weeks for his skin to heal properly.”

Vane nodded his thanks to Miranda and left to check on Jack. 

Miranda sat down heavily in Vane’s abandoned chair and stroked Thomas who hadn’t moved from his spot on the table. 

“Thomas is upset,” James said. 

“What did Vane do?” Miranda sounded tired. 

James stood up and fetched the necklace from the floor and held it out to Miranda. “Do you recognise it? Thomas was fine until he saw it.”

“Yes, I know it. It’s Thomas’ sisters’. Have we ever told you of how she and their mother fled England?” 

“No.”

“Make some tea and I’ll tell you all I know.” Miranda picked Thomas up and held him against her.

He pressed his face into her neck and listened as she recounted the tale of his mother being discovered as a witch and how Alfred Hamilton had ordered them to be returned to him. He’d sworn they’d be pressed into service of the crown and never freed should he find them again.

Anne, Rackham and Vane stayed the night so Miranda could be close by should something happen. They left in the early morning and Anne surprised everyone when she hugged Miranda and agreed to visit soon for tea and a chat.


	15. Adopted

The sun was high in the sky and Thomas could feel it through the canvas of the tent over the desk he was stretched out on. James was studying his maps and running one hand idly through Thomas’ fur. The sounds of the Walrus crew careening the ship behind them filtered through. 

Thomas swatted a paw at James. ‘You’ve got me here, but you haven’t looked away from that map for ages. How can it be more interesting than me?’ 

James glanced up at him and tickled Thomas under the chin then turned his attention back to the map. Thomas meowed and received an ear scratch and a distracted hum from James for his trouble. 

“I need to plot this route, then you’ll have my full attention.” James barely looked up as he spoke. 

There was a soft thump as Betsy jumped up onto desk and trotted over to where Thomas lay beside the map. Thomas looked up at Betsy who was carrying a dead mouse in her mouth. She dropped it onto the edge of James’ map and settled down beside Thomas. 

“Betsy! While I’m glad you’re doing your job, I don’t really want to see the evidence.” James picked the mouse up and chucked it away from them. 

It earned him a hiss from Betsy. Thomas looked between them and the spot where the mouse had been. 

‘What was the mouse for? Wait, what are you doing?’ Thomas gave a mew as Betsy licked the back of his neck and up towards his ears. ‘Oh no, not another person who thinks I can’t wash myself.’ 

Thomas closed his eyes and settled his head on his paws to wait it out. As Betsy continued he found it soothing like a massage and he purred softly. 

By the time she’d finished giving his head a good wash someone had chucked the discarded mouse into the sea. Betsy stood up and jumped down from the desk. She trotted off towards the ship’s stores that had been moved off ship during the careening. 

“I think she likes you.” James set his tools aside and stroked Thomas. 

‘Are you all done?’ Thomas stretched and moved to sit in front of his James. ‘I’m determined to enjoy as much time with you as I possibly can before you run off pirating again.’ 

Thomas set on the edge of the table and nuzzled his face against the lovely bristles of his beard. They felt good against his fur and they scratched in just the right way to have him purring in moments. 

There was another thump and Thomas turned to find Betsy back this time with a large rat trailing from her mouth. 

‘James, you’ve got a serious rodent problem. I don’t know how you don’t starve out at sea when you’ve got rats this size in your stores.’ Thomas took a step towards Betsy. 

Betsy dropped the rat in front of Thomas who could see where she’d ripped its throat out. He backed up with a yowl. Betsy walked around the carcass and put a paw over the back of Thomas’ neck. 

Thomas laid down as she seemed to want without taking his eyes off the rat’s blank eyes. ‘Why did she bring me this to me?’ 

Betsy settled behind him and Thomas let out a surprised mew as she licked along his spine and over his back. 

“I think she’s figured out what a rubbish cat you are, and decided to adopt you,” James grinned as he watched. 

Thomas let out a disgruntled mew and settled down to make her happy. He didn’t care Betsy’s intentions there was no way he was eating that rat. James ran a thumb over Thomas’ ears and smiled down at the attention his Thomas was receiving.


	16. First Kill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that I didn't upload on Saturday. I really wasn't feeling well and decided it would be best to miss that day out and upload this one the next scheduled upload day.
> 
> This one isn't as cute as normal. I'm sorry about that.

Thomas sat on the table and watched a mouse scurry past from the pantry. It kept stopping and starting. Thomas didn’t want to watch it and every time it stopped he looked away, but whenever it started again the movement would pull Thomas’ attention. 

He’d noticed that small, fast moving things were incredibly difficult to look away from now that he was a cat. He was often struck with the urge to reach out and stop the movement. It was the similar urge to the one that drew him to laying in sunlight or jumping up to high places. 

The mouse started moving again and Thomas leaned forward. His tail swished and he itched to stop it the mouse. He wanted to pick it up and take it outside where he would no longer be bothered by it. The mouse stopped again and Thomas rested his head on his paws. It still had most the room to travel; he might be watching for some time. 

Maybe he could chase the mouse out of the house. Thomas jumped down from the table and approached from behind. 

‘I’m sorry if I scare you, but can you please leave? Miranda doesn’t like mice and neither do I. It’s nothing personal. I’m sure you’re just doing what you have to so you can survive.’

The mouse spotted Thomas and sprinted from the door and Thomas followed it. He miscalculated his speed and caught up with the mouse. It changed direction to try and avoided him and headed for the bedroom. 

‘No, don’t go that way.’ Thomas tried to cut it off and his paw collided with the mouse’s head. The mouse squeaked in surprise. ‘I’m sorry! Did I hurt you?” 

The mouse tried to dart between Thomas’ legs. Thomas span round and leapt on the mouse to try and stop it from going any further. His claws came out without him meaning them to and blood spilled onto the floor. 

One of his claws must have pierced an important blood vessel and the mouse bled out before Thomas’ eyes. 

Thomas let out a yowl as the mouse stopped moving. ‘I killed it. I killed it! I’m a monster! I’m so sorry.’ 

Blood speckled Thomas’ fur as he lay down beside the mouse and let out another yowl. He wouldn’t hide from this. He couldn’t pretend to James and Miranda that he was innocent. He’d killed something and they should know his guilt. 

Miranda was the first to find him yowling on the floor. She picked up the mouse’s corpse and disposed of it. When she came back she cleaned the blood with a flick of her hand and the tingling scent of magic. Then she scooped Thomas up and kissed the top of his head. 

“It’s ok, Thomas. If you hadn’t killed it James or I would have had to. We can’t have mice getting into our food stores,” Miranda said. 

Thomas gave a quiet mew and slumped against her. It took Miranda and James rest of the day and lots of affection to make him feel better.


	17. Truth On The Cards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally have this one written! It was giving me so much trouble but it's finally here!

Gates followed James into the house and paused at the sight of Thomas and Miranda playing cards at the table. 

“I didn’t realise you had a guest,” Gates said. “We can do this another time if that’ll be preferable. As long as the men have an answer by the end of the week it’ll be alright.” 

“There’s no need. Thomas lives here.” James walked over and ran a hand along the back of Thomas’ chair. 

Gates stared at Thomas, then he glanced around the room for the cat and finally his eyes landed on Miranda. 

“You’re the cat?” Gates asked Thomas. 

“I was. Please sit down before you fall from the shock.” Thomas kicked out a chair beside Miranda. 

James took the seat beside Thomas was a grin growing across his face. 

“Perhaps your business will need to wait after all. I think Mr Gates needs some time to re-evaluate every interaction we’ve ever had.” Thomas tried not to smile. 

“Perhaps some tea would help. I hear it’s good for shock.” With a wave of her hand the kettle was on the fire to heat. A teapot, cups and saucers sailed through the air and landed with a delicate clatter in front of them all. 

Thomas didn’t miss his whiskers and the way they could feel the way magic charged the air. Instead he could just enjoy the incredible display of Miranda’s casual magic that would never lose its awe for him. 

Thomas and Miranda finished their card game while the kettle boiled and Gates continued to stare at the table top. It was only as the water was poured into the teapot and was left to brew that Gates looked up. 

“You were the cat? For 10 years?” Gates asked. 

“Yes.” Thomas shuffled the cards and tried not look at him. 

“Any you never thought to mention this to anyone? Not to me? Not to the crew?” Gates directed his questions to James. 

“We felt everyone would be more comfortable if they were kept ignorant of the subject. People like cats, but not too fond of the cursed kind. Until we could change Thomas back and you could see him for yourselves it was too much of a risk.” James shrugged. 

“We’re sorry for the deception.” Miranda poured the tea. 

“I'll have to inform the crew. They won’t be happy about this.” Gates accepted his cup of tea from Miranda with a nod of thanks. 

“That’s not the only thing you will have to inform them. I’m retiring. Now that England’s rule has returned to these shores I have no interest in remaining on the account. As for what the crew do next I recommend you find a way to become merchants and run the crew as you did before.” James shrugged and blew on his tea before taking a sip. 

“Mr Gates, would you pass on my gratitude to Mr Degroot for saving my life?” Thomas asked. 

“I suppose I could,” Gates said still glaring at James. 

“I know you both have much to talk about.” Miranda’s eyes went back and forth between James and Gates as they remained locked in their stalemate-staring competition. “But why don’t you join us for a couple rounds of cards?” 

Gates gave a heavy sigh and looked away from James. “The distraction would be welcome. Since the governor arrived it’s been none stop trying to protect the men’s interests. If we don’t act quickly many of our men and those on other crews will fall back under the oppression they ridded themselves of years before.” 

“Perhaps we might help with that?” Miranda sipped her tea and exchanged a look with Thomas. 

“We may know ways to protect the people of Nassau from Rogers, but first we’re going to need to test his hold.” Thomas dealt out the cards. There was a fire in his eyes that Miranda and James hadn’t seen since London.


	18. Pull of Vengeance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a vague idea how I wanted this to go and then was taken by surprise when it went in a different direction. Sorry, no James in this chapter but there is Max!

Thomas was stretched out on a partially lovely patch of sunlight on the table when Miranda sat down heavily in a chair close by. Thomas rolled onto his front to look at her. There was a letter in her hand. Thomas stood up and trotted over to give it a sniff. 

‘What is it? We don’t usually get post. There’s no one to write to us.’ Thomas sat down in front of her to wait until she was ready to tell him what was in the letter. 

Miranda set it aside. The air became a heated tangle as fury caused her magic to rise to levels she could barely control. The tingling in Thomas’ whiskers was so strong that he yowled and pressed his body against the table top. Pots crashed against walls and the only clock they had stopped ticking. 

Miranda stood up and walked out the house without looking at Thomas. 

Once she was outside the ticking of the clock resumed and the painful tingling in Thomas’ whiskers ceased. 

Thomas sat up slowly and crept to the window to see where Miranda had gone. He rested his paws on the loose glass and watched as she walked towards the beach. The very air around her seemed to part and every pirate fled her presence. Including one man who threw himself over a table to get away from her. 

‘Where are you going? James isn’t due back for two days.’ Thomas mewed and when Miranda was out of sight he returned to the table and sniffed at the letter that can caused rage in Miranda like Thomas hadn’t seen since the night Alfred had sent men to steal him. 

‘Not being able to read is really annoying! What did you do to my Miranda?’ Thomas swatted at the letter until it fell onto the floor. 

Feeling better now the letter knew his views of its existence Thomas slipped out the window and trotted down to the beach in search of Miranda. He found her down at the dock with Max who liked to give Thomas a stroke and sometimes a piece of roast meat. 

They were talking and Thomas paused to listen to them. He knew he shouldn’t but if Miranda needed someone to talk to, that could talk back, then Thomas didn’t want to interrupt them. He hung back and waited for one of them look around and spot him. 

“I shouldn’t tell them. I should spare them. We have a good life here, but the pull of vengeance is just too much. I know if I tell James he won’t even consider another option. He will launch an attack on that ship and it won’t be until it’s done that he will sit down and realise the what we have committed. That’s when the guilt will come. It’s Thomas who has the most right to decide this fate yet he can hardly tell us. Sometimes I wonder if he understands us at all and other days I’m sure he can, but for how much longer? I can see him developing more cat like behaviour all the time and I have to wonder if he’s long lost to us. 

“Yet if I sit on this letter and keep them safe from the truth I will feel a whole other guilt. We have lost everything and he nothing. He still resides in his position of luxury and privilege ordering the destruction of lives with ease than it takes me to decide what to make for dinner. If I let him remain living then I am sentencing untold numbers to his unchallenged cruelty. Maybe Thomas won’t forgive me for this and maybe the guilt will cause James more pain than he can endure but my conscience begs me to act.” Miranda looked over at Max who had listened intently as she spoke. 

“It seems to me that you’ve already made up your mind. You just don’t like the decision you’ve come to.” Max put a hesitant hand on Miranda’s arm. “I don’t think you need to worry about Thomas though. From my what I’ve seen he’s far more human than cat, and you trust my sight I hope.” Max smiled. 

‘Oh! Max is a truth seer. Possibly a thread reader too. Mother used to tell me about people who could do that.’ Thomas let out a mew and stepped forward. 

Miranda looked around sharply but Max gave a serene smile as if she’d known Thomas had been there. Miranda scooped Thomas up into her arms and looked to the horizon. 

“Alfred Hamilton will be sailing aboard the Maria Aleyne soon. It’ll be the most vulnerable he’s ever been, and it would be so easy to reach out across the seas and crush him beneath the waves.” The rage in Miranda’s voice set Thomas’ hackles up. 

‘I want you to be happy. If his continued existence causes you such pain then I will support any decision to rectify the matter.’ Thomas stretched out a paw to touch her cheek.

“You are allowing you rage to dictate your plan. He will have a witch on board to prevent such an attack. If this is to be done it will need to be done smart,” Max said. 

“Will you come to tea? I believe your input will be most valuable.” Miranda asked Max. 

“I will join you in an hour. First, I have a proposal to present to Idelle. I have no intention of remaining a prostitute for much longer.”

“If you require some assistance or ally, I will be only too pleased to help.” Miranda smiled at Max. 

“For what price?” Max asked. 

“Trace back the threads of the events that lead us here, and tell me everyone who betrayed us. I know Alfred Hamilton required the assistance of others to ruin our lives. I have no doubt that they profited from our misery and it’s been too long since the wrath of a Barlow Witch was felt in this world.” Miranda looked at Max with the cold look that Thomas remembered from their early courtship. 

“You let civilisation suppress the magic in your veins for too long. If we are going to make some stability from this sand then we’ll need a witch like you.” Max had a smile that matched Miranda’s eyes. She turned and walked up the beach. 

Miranda scratched behind Thomas’ ears as she stared at the horizon for a moment longer, then she turned and walked home. 

Magic tingled Thomas’ whiskers again. A drawer opened and the knife James had left, should they need it, sailed through the air as the letter rose from the floor to meet it. The blade pierced the paper and embedded in the wood above the hearth. 

The magic in the air dispersed and Thomas rested his head against Miranda’s shoulder. 

Miranda sat down and set Thomas on the table directly in front of her. 

“I need to know now, before I go down this path, that you agree with this decision. If you want him spared, I will do it. If you want him spared then go towards the hearth, but if you’re happy for me to do this then go into the bedroom. That way I’ll know that you understand and your decision will be clear, because I can’t bear to go against your wishes.” Miranda sat back in her chair and waited. 

Thomas jumped off the table and with heavy paws went into the bedroom. ‘I know I have signed my father’s death warrant with this, but you’re right. He cannot be allowed to inflict his destruction on other innocents who oppose him or happen to be in his way.’ 

When Max arrived, Thomas was purring in Miranda’s arms with the kettle on a fire that kept changing colours as it burnt up the residual magic in the air. Max sat down opposite Miranda. 

“I accept your deal. I have your assistance and support for the information you seek. Once this vengeance has been done we will make ourselves irreplaceable and I will make a future where no amount of shifting sands will displace us.” Max held out her hand and Miranda set Thomas on the table between them, then she reached over and they shook on it. 

“Tea?” Miranda asked as the kettle boiled. 

“That would be lovely.” 

With teacups in front of them and a saucer for Thomas they plotted their rise and fall of those who stood against them. Thomas purred in contentment.


	19. Sickbed

Thomas woke on James’ chest and immediately noticed the heated feel of his skin and the sheen of sweat. Thomas stood up and looked down at James’ fever ridden face. Hair stuck to his forehead as his breaths came out in gasps. 

‘James?’ Thomas patted James’ face, but barely got a grumble in response. Thomas let out a yowl and looked over at Miranda who was sleeping peacefully beside them. 

‘Wake up.’ Thomas jumped from James’ chest onto her stomach. 

Miranda jerked awake with a screech. 

‘Oh, good, you’re awake.’ Thomas blinked down at her. 

“Thomas! What the fuck was that for?” Miranda wrapped an arm around her abdomen and glared up at him. 

Thomas yowled and walked back to James. ‘He’s ill. He’s got a fever or something. Help him please!’ 

Miranda sat up with a frown and looked at James. Thomas could only watch as she took his temperature. The air tingled with magic as Miranda cast a healing spell around James. 

Thomas mewed and put a paw on Miranda’s arm. She scooped him up into her arms and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. 

“He’ll be ok. I’ve cured far worse than this. In a couple of days he’ll be all healed and back to normal.” Miranda scratched behind Thomas’ ears and settled back to grab a few more hours sleep with Thomas on her chest. 

Thomas tried to follow Miranda’s example and go back to sleep, but he couldn’t bear to keep his eyes closed in case the spell didn’t work and James got worse. 

‘What if he’s infected by a curse? It could have laid dormant for years on that spell book that he brought back yesterday. What if you can’t cure it? What if it’s too late to save him by the time you realise what it is? I can’t lose James! We can’t lose him!’ 

Thomas let out a tiny heartbroken mew and crept from Miranda’s chest back to James’. He settled down against the too hot skin and closed his eyes. His body moved with James’ breathing and Thomas contented himself with feeling the life still inside James’ lungs. 

“Little Traitor.” Miranda hissed at him in the pre-dawn light. 

Thomas opened his eyes and found Miranda watching him with one eye open. 

“I told you he’d be fine and you don’t believe me.” She opened both eyes and fixed him with a knowing look. 

‘I’m sorry. I’m just scared.’ Thomas pressed his face into his paws. 

“He’s going to be ok, Thomas. I won’t let anything happen to him.” She leant up on her elbow and stroked the hair out of James’ face. “Sleep on his chest if it makes you feel better, but if you do I’ll be giving you a bath in the morning. You’re going to be covered in his sweat."

‘Worth it.’ Thomas rolled onto his back to prove the point, then settled back into his preferred sleeping position and closed his eyes. 

He felt the bed shift as Miranda rolled over and rested her head on James’ shoulder, and her arm slunk around James’ chest behind Thomas. 

‘If anything changes then Miranda will feel it. James’ll be ok.’ Thomas told himself and let himself fall asleep. 

The fever had broken by the time they woke and by nightfall James was looking like himself again. He gathered them into his arms and Thomas purred from his place squashed between James and Miranda’s relieved embrace.


	20. Intruders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday DreamingPagan

A crash from the main room startled Thomas and Miranda awake. James had only left two days before. Thomas jumped off Miranda’s chest and ran from the room towards the source of the noise. He could hear Miranda hiss his name behind him. 

‘What are you doing? Get out!’ Thomas yowled as he was faced with four men with ill-kept facial hair and badly fitting clothes. Thomas didn’t recognise them from any of the pirate crews. ‘Leave now and you might survive. James will destroy you for this, and I don’t even want to think about what Miranda will do.’ 

Thomas took a step towards them still yowling, only to be snatched up by the scruff of the neck. 

“Shut it, Kitty-Cat, or you’ll get your brains bashed in.” The man holding him grunted. 

Thomas hissed and swiped with his paws but the position he was held in prevented him from doing any damage. The man laughed and threw Thomas away from him. 

Thomas let out a screech as he flailed through the air. He would have hit the top of the heart if a cloud of Miranda’s magic hadn’t swirled around him and lowered him gently to the floor. Miranda was standing in the doorway, with her fury clear on her face and the air answering the call of her magic. 

Their clock stopped ticking, knifes flew into the air to surround the men and Thomas’ whiskers were tingling so much they felt like sensitive teeth in an ice bath. 

“You break into my house, you attack my cat and I can well imagine what you intended to do here. Now you won’t be leaving.” There was the sound of every window and door reinforcing itself to bar their escape. Miranda stepped forward and locked eyes with the one who had dared touch Thomas. “I think I’ll take you up on your threat.” 

With a flick of her fingers the man’s head caved in and his empty body sunk to the floor. If the other three men put up a fight against Miranda, Thomas blinked and missed it. He suspected that she’d frozen them in place before she destroyed them. 

‘Miranda?’ Thomas mewed and crept towards her. 

The magic slowly dispersed from the room, the clocks ticking resumed and the bloodied knifes clattered to the ground. The pain in Thomas’ whiskers eased as Thomas skirted around a disembodied head and stood on his back legs to put his front paws on Miranda’s thigh. 

‘Are you ok?’ Thomas looked up at Miranda who was breathing heavily. 

“Go back to sleep, Thomas. I’ll deal with this.” Miranda reached down a tentative hand and held it out to Thomas. 

‘It’s ok. You can touch me. I’ll never be frightened of you.’ Thomas nuzzled the hand and put his front paws back on the ground. He wound around Miranda’s legs to make sure she knew how much he adores her. 

“I’ll need to get rid of the bodies. I won’t have their blood stain my floor or the smell of rotting getting into my furnishings.” 

Magic filled the air again, but it was softer this time. It didn’t hurt Thomas’ whiskers as much and there was a satisfied feel to it. Thomas’ fur stood on end and his tail bushed up as he watched the four corpses rise into the air and float out through the front door one by one. Miranda followed them out and Thomas kept close to her as they walked down to the beach with the corpses hovering before them. 

There were always people on the streets of Nassau regardless of the time of day, and many stopped and stared at the procession. Feared pirates flinched away from them as they passed and others got as far out their way as possible. Eleanor Guthrie stopped mid conversation to watch. 

On the beach Miranda had the bodies suspend themselves on ropes that connected to nothing and in their own blood they dripped out the words ‘Only a dead fool angers a witch’ onto the sand.

With her message made Miranda scooped Thomas up and returned home. 

The message and floating bodies were still there when James returned two weeks later. He stormed into the house and gathered Miranda up into his arms. 

“What happened?” He kissed her brow. 

“They broke in and laid a hand on Thomas. I couldn’t let that go unanswered.” Miranda pressed her face into James’ shoulder where Thomas was already nestled. 

“I should have been here.” James whispered into her hair. 

“It’s done. Did you get the spellbook?” Miranda asked. 

James pulled the thinnest spell book Thomas had ever seen out of his coat. 

“This is it?” Miranda asked as she took it from him and flipped through the pages. 

“Yes, that’s it. I just hope this one will work. I don’t want to be away from you two ever again.” James pulled Thomas off his shoulders and cradled him against his chest. 

‘You don’t need to go again. Miranda and I want you home with us always.’ Thomas purred at the scent and feel of James wrapped around him. 

Miranda and James sat at the table, with Miranda studying the spells and James walking his fingers over Thomas’ tummy and tickling his chin. Thomas’ loud purrs filled the room and they could almost forget the rotting bodies on the beach.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a really short little chapter.

Thomas found the crumpled little bird on the side of the dirt track outside their home. Only it’s little chest moved as Thomas padded over. He sniffed at it but couldn’t smell blood, but it was holding its wings very close to its body. 

'You poor thing. You must have hurt your wings. I'll take you home and Miranda can fix you up. She’s very good at it. She can mend broken wings and pull glass from paws without any difficulty.' Thomas gave his front paws a few licks to chase away the ghost sensation of those glass shards. 

Thomas picked the bird up in his mouth with a loose grip and trotted to the house. 

He had some trouble getting up through his usually window and had to settle for scratching at the door and waiting there. 

'You're lighter than I thought you'd be. It won't be much longer now. We must need to wait for my James and Miranda to let us in.'

Miranda opened the door and her eyebrows shot up. 

"You are not bringing that in here. Put in back where you found it, then I'll give you a bath." Miranda went to close the door but Thomas darted through her legs. 

He neared the table and James stood up with a frown. Miranda scooped Thomas up from behind and James held out his hand. 

“What have you got, Thomas? Spit it out.” Miranda adjusted her hold so she could get a closer look at the bird in his mouth. 

‘It’s injured, please fix it.’ Thomas was having a hard time keeping hold of the bird. It felt like it was slipping free and he didn’t want to hold it any tighter in case he bite it properly. He scrabbled at Miranda and with a heavy sigh she set him back on the floor. 

Thomas set the bird down and took a step back. ‘See, it’s injured its win-oh.’ 

The bird hopped up, flapped its wings and flew away from Thomas. James shooed it out the door and pulled it closed once the bird was safely settled in a nearby tree. 

“Thomas, you make a useless cat. That’s not how you hunt.” James rolled his eyes and swooped in to pick Thomas up. 

The hug took the sting out of his words and Thomas rested his head on James’ shoulder. ‘I wasn’t trying to hunt it. I wanted to save it. How was I supposed to know it was only stunned?’ He still mewed pitifully until they gave him lots of kisses and cuddles.

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone has any ideas for what Kitty Thomas and his humans can get up then please let me know.


End file.
